We'll Be Glowing In The Dark
by ParachutesInTheSky
Summary: Chris became friends with Darren from the moment he steped foot on set. However, a certain scene and Ryan Murphy's very specific ideas might throw the boys relationship into a whole diferent field. Set post "The first time". CrissColfer.
1. Chapter 1  Stolen Key

**I've had the idea of this story for quite some time now, and somehow the story and the way I want it to go seemed to flow perfectly with a song I'm currently obsessed with. Therefore chapter titles are based on the lyrics of Coldplay's "Charlie Brown"- which I do not own in any way, shape or form other than the ownership provided by a bought cd. Sadly, I do not own Mr. Colfer or Mr. Criss either; otherwise they'd spend every waking hour having sexy times together.**

**Oh, and this is not only my first CrissColfer fic, but my first fanfic EVER, so reviews will be extremely appreciated as I have no idea what I'm doing here xD**

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><p>WE'LL BE GLOWING IN THE DARK.<p>

Chapter 1. Stolen key.

Chris was walking towards the sofa in the middle of the living room. He was anxious, excited and slightly cold as he sat on the comfy autumn colored couch. Darren was late, but as Chris saw him approaching he started to get himself comfortable; shifting from one side to the other he finally settled lying on his back, arms on the sides of his head with his hands beneath it, lifting it only slightly.

"Funny" he thought, "it seems as for the last few months we've found ourselves making out almost every day somehow".

The other boy had made his way towards him, and after saying hi and sharing a shy smile he proceeded to join the guy laying on the sofa. Chris was wearing a soft lavender button down shirt, dark grey –unbuttoned- vest on top, midnight blue tight-as-hell jeans and purple and pink stripped socks on his cold feet; yet his bottom half was also covered with a thick, black and blue checkered blanket, which Darren lifted to find his way on top of him. They struggled for a bit, finding it challenging to lay there without any of them being at the verge of sliding to the side of the sofa and fall flat on their faces. Both man giggled when Darren, still trying to find a comfortable position, tangled his legs in between Chris' and slightly kneed the boy's crotch in the process.

"You know, that's the opposite of what we're trying to do here!" said Chris, as he tried to push away the pain with bad jokes.

"I'm sorry!" was all a now red faced Darren could mumble before his giggling was restored.

"Stop it!" exclaimed a smiling Christopher, "your belly wiggles when you laugh and it tickles!"

It was obvious Chris was doing his best to keep a straight face, pushing his lips together to a point they were just a very thin line under his nose. His strong attempt to keep it together did not go unnoticed to Darren, who now had settled his right leg between Chris' left leg and the sofa's back rest, while his left leg was now calmly positioned between the other boy's long bottom limbs. This way Chris' right leg would keep him steadily on top of him, avoiding any sliding or falling over.

Looking at the boy beneath him, Darren took a deep breath, closing his eyes and swallowing Chris' scent in the process. Rain. Marc Jacobs' "Rain", that is. All of this was ridiculously familiar; feeling the other boy's arms crawling to the back of his neck he welcomed the embrace, tilting his head a little to the side at the feel of Chris' soft warm hands caressing the back of his neck. Darren's expression was calm and relaxed at this point, and after leaning just a tiny bit closer, he rested his right arm on Chris' left side, melting into the side of his head while caressing his hair. Chris couldn't help to form a small smile at the feel of Darren's fingers softly stroking his hair, while his other arm rested on top of his chest, fidgeting with his shirt's buttons. It was sweet and reassuring, and Chris couldn't help but to be extremely comfortable with the feel of Darren's weight on top of him. He gave the other boy a soft look, and while staring into each other's eyes, Chris lifted his head almost closing the gap between their faces, stopping when their lips were dangerously close to each other. It was then, that he whispered into the other boy's slightly parted lips:

"Are you ready?"

Darren's immediate answer was slowly pressed on Chris' mouth, left arm still resting on his chest. Their chapped lips barely open, laying soft chaste kisses on one another. It was sweet and painfully slow, but this was their pace; the way they had always embraced each other. Darren's hand slowly crawled from the other boy's chest up to his neck, caressing the soft porcelain skin the entire time and finally resting it next to his head, laying barely-there touches on the back of his ear and Chris could feel his entire body tingle at the sweet nothings produced by the tender touch. He then proceeded to gently remove his right hand from Darren's neck, and with a sinuous, sensual, snake-like motion, Chris' arm slid to the boy's chest, only to go back up towards Darren's cheek while feeling the delicious roughness of the slight stubble starting to form in the dark haired boy's face. During the entirety of this motion, switching from neck, to chest, to beautiful sexy face, Chris' hand and arm had refused to separate from the boy's body at any time. A trail of soft touch lay on Darren's upper half and everything about it felt ridiculously perfect.

It was there and then, that a loud voice across the room burst their seemingly untouchable bubble,

"Cut!" yelled Ryan from his chair.

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><p><strong>RR & be merry!**


	2. Chapter 2  Where the lost boys meet

**Just to make it clear, you're all awesome. I never expected for anyone to read the first chapter in the first place, so you basically made my week. To all of you who tagged it on alert, or favorite-ed, and those who took the time to write a little review: you rock!**

**Oh and I do apply constructive criticism into the story, so for those of you who pointed me in the right direction (you know who you are!) thank you**

**Hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

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><p><span>Chapter 2. Where the lost boys meet.<span>

Both boys separated from their embrace at the sound of Ryan's command to stop the scene. While Ryan walked towards them, Darren lifted himself removing his weight from Chris' body, lying half on top-half to his side as the sofa's space didn't allow for much else.

Even though their on-screen kisses had been only a few, things worked differently behind cameras, with them needing to repeat each scene at least 10 times in order for the cameras to capture the perfect angle, the perfect lighting, the perfect expressions. So by now they had done a bit more kissing than what was shown on tv, this resulting in the both of them feeling extremely comfortable with one another and with such a confidence a certain kissing technique had been adopted by both; finding that tender long pecks and barely open lips was what worked best with the sweet and all-round love their characters irradiated when together.

However, Ryan didn't seem pleased by their performance this time around; apparently he was keen on showing how _Kurt_ and _Blaine_ had moved on into another phase in their relationship.

"Look, I know we've kept it extremely PG with the two of you, but I thought that when you read '_Kurt and Blaine making out'_ on the script, you'd get the hint and suck face; not give me the same kissing scene everyone has seen from the two of you so far" Said Ryan with a slightly annoyed sound to his voice.

Both boys seemed a bit bewildered by the director's statement. Looking into Darren's eyes and finding nothing but utter confusion, it was Chris who decided to speak up and make clear what they were being asked.

"Well, the show is PG rated so I don't think either of us ever considered taking it any further than that. What exactly is that you're asking of us?" said Chris, expecting Ryan to be as explicit as possible while Darren just nodded his head in agreement.

"Well…." said Ryan "I'm not asking you to go all out and get naked, but your characters have been… uhmm… intimate, so although chaste kisses are nice they're not completely realistic at this point. I want to see passion, I want to see two people who completely trust, love and understand each other; not teenagers seemingly afraid at the smallest touch…. Your characters have moved on from that".

… "Passion?" was all Darren could mumble, his cheeks starting to blush at a furious rate. The sight of him embarrassed by what was being asked seemed adorable to Chris, who should've noted himself not only his cheeks but his entire face had turned a bright shade of red after listening to Ryan's request.

"Yes, passion" Was all Ryan replied before turning on his heels and make his way towards his chair. "If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can start with what you're familiar with doing together, and move up from that. I'll call the cameras to start rolling when I start to see what I need" said the tall blonde man not even looking at them, approaching his chair and taking a seat. It was while adjusting his bright yellow hat, that Ryan noticed both boys' extremely blushed faces and with a smirk plastered all over his face he delivered his final request "and don't worry about taking it further than what we're allowed to show on tv, just go for it and leave the annoying editing to me".

"Oh… man…" was all Darren was capable of whispering when that last sentence came out of Ryan's lips. With a nervous smile on his face, he turned to face Chris who looked equally if not slightly more panicked. They both couldn't help to give apologetic looks to each other, knowing there was no way around it… Their director knew what he wanted, and he was not going to let them go until he got exactly that.

Chris felt extremely awkward and his mind was racing a mile a second trying to imagine what was going on inside Darren's head.

They had become friends ever since Darren step foot on set and the fact that all of his first scenes were just the two of them made them very close, very fast. They were both very talkative and as rumor had it he would be Chris' love interest, that conversation was held between them early on. Darren explained that even though he was straight –and Chris had previously established he was not- he had no problem kissing him and he was perfectly able to separate himself from a character. Chris was extremely pleased to hear that. The last thing he wanted was for things to be weird between him and the new kid, who he was bound to have numerous scenes with from that moment on. That made it that much easier for them to work together, their scenes always seemed to be flowing with love and honesty which was a direct result of the great relationship they had off-screen. They weren't attached at the hip, but their love, trust and admiration for each other always seemed to find its way through the cameras.

But this was a whole other game.

Chris was concerned it would be too much for Darren but instantly his mind went into a completely different direction: what if his primal instincts took over and went too far? That would certainly freak the curly haired boy out.

Darren lifted his upper body with the help of his arms, each hand lying on either side of Chris' shoulders while the shorter boy positioned himself on top of Chris.

"Oh boy" whispered Chris as he let a strong breath come out of his chest. He sounded both breathless and scared to hell. Darren couldn't help to give a shy smile while closing his eyes at the sincerity of Chris' expression. They were both at the verge of utter panic.

While letting out a strong sigh, Darren decided to stop worrying and just listen to Ryan. "Look, I know this is probably gonna be really awkward but we don't really have a choice here. So I say we just try to relax and go for it. I mean…. I…. You know… You know I trust you. Completely. So let's just forget about all the crap going through our heads and enjoy ourselves" he said with a flirty smile and a wink that instantly relaxed them both.

"I'm waaaitiiing!" suddenly yelled Ryan from his chair, a mixture between annoyance and amusement at the sight before him. "Time is money, and you seem to need a little push so let's get crackin'. ACTION!" He finally stated.

Both boys just laughed and went back to facing each other. "Well, here come's nothing" said Chris with a slightly scared look in his eyes and a small smile on his face, as he pulled Darren towards him tugging on his cherry red polo shirt –undone bow tie hanging from the sides of his neck. As Darren was pulled his face got closer to the boy beneath him, close enough for them to share an eskimo kiss which seemed to exacerbate Ryan's patience "Oh, c'mon!", they could hear him mumble, which only made them smile at each other and feel more comfortable with the situation, noses still lightly touching as they tilted their heads from one side to the other.

Refusing to let go of Chris' eyes, Darren slowly tilted his head to the side keeping his eyes open as if asking for clearance, only resting them closed once Chris' head moved forwards closing the gap between their lips. It was soft and sweet and exactly what Ryan had told them not to do, but they had made a silent agreement on following the latter of the director's advice: work their way to it. Chris' hands quickly found their way back to Darren's neck, one crawling to his head while the other caressed the spot where the back of his neck met his hairline. This made Darren change position, flexing his right arm so that it landed right next to the blue eyed boy's head thus part of his weight falling on top of Chris. Somehow they had gotten back to almost the exact same position they were in the first take –the one they knew Ryan did _not_ want- and knowing that Chris wouldn't want to freak him out, Darren decided he should probably be the one to take it a step further.

Separating their lips only for a second at a time, Darren whispered on Chris' lips "Are"… "Mmmhh…" … "Are you ready?"

They both opened their eyes and looked at each other as Darren blurted out the question, but they both seemed to be in a hazy daze. Kissing restored with half open eyes, staring into one another as their lips continuously brushed and tasted the chap stick covered mouths. Watching each other kiss was new and before they knew it their hearts were pounding a little faster than usual. It was then that Chris's body seemed to let go of the various concerns floating in his brain, and as he relaxed his body he pulled Darren's face closer while covering his bottom lip with his mouth, sucking it not-so lightly. A loud 'smack' was produced when Chris let go of Darren's lip, causing a huge grin on the curly haired boy; eyes darkened and it was as if suddenly something had triggered between them. Closing his eyes, Darren flexed his left arm so now he was completely on top of Chris, both hands attached to his face as if in fear he would leave otherwise. Closing the gap between them he gave a deep kiss to the boy beneath him, tilting his head and trying to explore as much as possible of this fantastic set of lips. Chris' hands started going all over the place: neck, hair, back, torso, arms… There wasn't a part of Darren –or more like Darren's upper half- that Chris didn't explore with his soft touch, which seemed to get stronger as Darren kept causing a whirlwind in his mouth. Everything from that point on was extremely fuzzy for both of them. Darren thought he heard Ryan yell "Rolling!" but he was way too occupied with Chris' mouth to seriously give a fuck, while Chris was so completely lost by Darren's touch he missed the director's cue all together.

Darren kept pressing his face closer and closer to Chris', in a desperate attempt to reach further and feel every single bit of his mouth; that alongside their heavy breathing, hearts pounding to an alarming rate and the sudden extreme desire to just _feel_ each other, both man were losing it. Suddenly, Chris broke the kiss apart causing a loud moan from Darren's mouth that made Chris, a wide eyed Ryan and the rest of the crew to form a huge grin in their faces. Chris was not ready to let go just yet though. He was extremely pleased with the reactions he apparently could cause in Mr. Criss, and wanted to explore that even further. Lifting his head and moving it towards Darren's right side of his face, Chris suddenly took in his lips the boy's earlobe causing an even louder moan than before. Kissing, licking, biting, it was all happening to Darren's ear while porn-star-worthy sounds where floating out of his mouth as he felt he was going to explode from the feelings Chris was causing on him.

"Then again, reciprocation is a beautiful thing" thought Darren to himself, as he tilted his head and started placing wet kisses all across Chris' jaw while moving his way downwards and diving into his pale white neck. Now it was Chris' turn to start moaning into Darren's ear, as the boy started rubbing his barely-there stubble on Chris' neck; soft skin met with light roughness followed by Darren's wet kisses had converted Chris into a puddle of goo and was making it extremely difficult to keep it together. When he came back to his senses, Chris proceeded to continue his earlobe-labor causing a shiver down Darren's spine and seemed to get him into competitive mode.

"You wanna play that game, huh?" was all Darren whispered staring into Chris' eyes, before tilting his head back into his neck where he had been kissing a second ago. However his kissing started to get deeper and deeper, to the point of reaching Chris' collarbone and sucking it strongly; the feeling was such Chris couldn't even form a sound, he just took a deep breath and before he knew it his legs had twitched at unison with Darren's latest stunt and all four limbs were now tangled together… Left foot covered with a pink and purple stripped sock rubbing Darren's right calve through his black skinny jeans. Darren welcomed the touch and while one of his hands placed soft circles on his cheek, the other one had found its way down to Chris' hip, holding it strongly towards him; his mouth took Chris' collarbone once again, this time sucking even harder and causing a red spot to immediately form on the boy's ridiculously milky skin. Chris was way too lost in Darren's touch to be able to do anything at all, so he just tilted his head back closing his eyes while he pulled the delicious neck biter's head even closer by strongly tugging his hair; left hand tracing soft touches down Darren's body until it found his hip bone, holding it strongly towards him. Both boys' hand-on-hip hands were conveniently positioned between their bodies and the back rest of the sofa while the blanket still lay barely over their bottom halves, so the cameras had never gotten that on film even if they had tried. The feeling however, was excruciating and as Darren started trailing wet kisses moving towards the northern end of Chris, he could feel something going on at their southern regions. Chris noticed this too, and a few seconds later with Darren's face finally at eye level once more, the blue eyed boy couldn't have looked more terrified. His breathing was heavy and his eyes were wide open as he could feel the bulge in their pants growing by the second, and as amazing as it felt this was not a route they were to take, so Chris reluctantly removed his hand from Darren's hip and placed it on his shoulder while his other hand softened the grip on his hair. Darren immediately felt the change in Chris' pace and saw the terror all over his face as reality suddenly hit him.

"Chris. Wow. Ok" was as far as Darren's thought process could go as he stared at the boy beneath him, moving the hand that had previously been tugging on his hip upwards to his waist. He wouldn't stop kissing him though. It felt way too good, and even though their pace had slowed dramatically in order for their pants to stop playing the tent game, neither of them seemed to want it to stop. Giving it one last go as their jeans returned to normal, Chris dove into Darren's mouth like there was no tomorrow. One long, wet, passionate kiss later and they both heard Ryan yell "Cut!"

Coming back to reality, both boys broke away the kiss and proceeded to stare into each other's extremely blushed faces and swollen lips.

"Great job guys, that's going to take A LOT of editing to manage a PG rated scene, but I think we got it. Now go take a cold shower!" Said Ryan standing from his chair, with a huge smirk plastered all over his face "Or a hot one together" he said to himself as he walked out of the studio.

Ryan's recommendation for a cold shower made both boys ashamed out of their senses, and suddenly Darren was slowly crawling himself out of Chris' blushing hot body. They both smiled shy smiles at each other, realizing what had just happened moments ago. In front of a crew filled set.

The fact that Darren had gotten Chris aroused didn't seem to make nearly as much brain noise for either of them as the fact that Chris had gotten Darren aroused. Extremely aroused. So much so that evidence would be displayed on Chris' collarbone for at least a week. They both found themselves suddenly falling from the highest high, not sure what to do, what to say, how to act with one another. Discomfort grew to the point where they couldn't even look at each other while putting on the shoes that the set assistant had just laid for them to put on, while their jackets now waited on the arm rest of the couch. At this moment even tying shoe laces together seemed like a draining activity, taking all of their focus to get them right and forget about the huge bright pink bedazzled elephant sitting on the sofa between the two of them.

Darren stood up, shoe laces a ridiculous mess, but as he took his jacket to cover himself from the sudden chill that embraced him he took one final look at Chris, who was now staring at the dark haired boy.

"Guess I'll see you tomorrow" was all Darren could say, not giving Chris a chance to answer back by turning on his heels and walking out of the set, leaving the taller boy still sitting on the sofa more confused than he already was.

"What the fuck was that?" was all Darren could think while he was getting his ride back to his trailer.

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><p><strong>R, R &amp; be merry!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3 A Fire A Spark

**So here's the thing. I wrote the third chapter immediately after finishing the second one, but maybe because I used it as a procrastination excuse –I was in the middle of finals at the time- I wasn't really happy with it, so I didn't post it. I decided to make myself useful and re write it entirely while actually taking the direction I wanted it to go in the first place, so hopefully this will be a half decent third chapter.**

**On another note, I own nothing even related to Chris Colfer or Darren Criss, except DC's ep but I don't think that gives me permission to do as I wish with him. If only...**

**Oh, I also want to thank everyone who's been nice enough to keep on reading/reviewing this, you're all the sweetest! **

**So here it is, hope you guys enjoy it.**

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><p><span>Chapter 3. A fire. A spark.<span>

A week had gone by since the 'sofa encounter'. A week ago they kissed, touched and made each other feel things they never expected to be triggered by one another. It had been seven days since Darren had tasted the sweet strawberry taste of Chris' soft lips, and since the latter had found himself trapped in the depth of glorious, golden eyes.

But just as well, a long week had passed since the last time they talked to each other.

At least off-character.

While Darren wasn't sure what to make of their last encounter, Chris was certain that all his co-star needed was a little space so he was giving him just that. He refused to even let his mind wonder what had happened or _why_ it had happened.

Chris convinced himself it had just been an inconvenient result of late night working, a scripted make out session and the fact that it had been months since the last time either of them got laid – a consequence of said late night work hours.

It was full on denial but it worked, at least during the waking hours… When asleep, Chris' already manic subconscious would turn into overdrive and immediately go to Darren's eyes glistening at the sight of Chris' body beneath him, his strong arms grasping the sides of his head as in fear the tall boy would run out of his reach.

Darren's lips would place soft kisses on Chris, only to grow stronger by the second while creating a trail of electricity everywhere they went; and according to Chris' brain, Darren's lips belonged everywhere: lips, neck, nose, hands, jaw, chest, shoulder blades… thighs… There wasn't a part of Chris' imaginary-self that imaginary-Darren hadn't touched, kissed, licked or all of the above. Not that he was complaining, but as Chris' plan was to restrain himself from thinking of Darren in _that_ way, it seemed as his brain was playing tricks with him. Evil tricks.

Darren on the other hand, being the bundle of energy he had always been was pretty used to getting very little sleep as he always had something up his sleeve; it seemed as there was permanently something else for him to do, somewhere to go. But this was ridiculous. Darren had gotten 9 hours of sleep in a space of three days, and it didn't get much better as the rest of the week went by.

Chris was constantly floating in his head, grayish blue eyes following him everywhere he went; that wonderful face, angelic face that made you think the boy would never hurt a fly - a look that would fool anyone, but Darren knew better.

He knew Chris was smart and sweet and incredibly hardworking. He was loving and funny and such a geek that it made Darren smile just to think of it. He was sarcastic and strong and beautiful. He was witty and talented but he could also make anyone do a double take at the dirty things that could come out of his mouth sometimes. And Darren loved it, all of it.

He had previously told Chris that what they had was love at first sight, a geek to dork bromance. Now, he wasn't so sure of that last bit.

Darren had kissed a guy or two in his pre-glee life while trying to figure out if girls was really who he should be going after: so many of them asked him if he was gay he started to think that maybe he was but he'd be the last one to find out. So he got proactive and did his best to clear the doubts in his head, –and everyone else's- the conclusions of the experiment being that dudes didn't do a thing for him, and afterwards both guys would decide to just laugh it off and file it under "college life experiences".

This however, was different. After a week of going back and forth, Darren reached a conclusion that seemed a bit silly: he liked Chris. How much he liked him, was the question floating in his head.

Something had happened on that sofa that Darren couldn't quite figure out, but was incredibly keen on exploring. He loved the boy, everyone knew that, but it wasn't until now that he had allowed himself to consider that his affections for the blue eyed man could be something different, something more, something deeper.

The oddest part of this whole new scenario was that the moment Criss dared to seriously consider a relationship with Colfer, he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders; as if that's what his heart had wanted the entire time and his mind was only now catching up. It was amazing how comfortable he felt about it; it seemed as such a natural progression for their relationship, that the idea of the two of them being together seemed organic and exciting… it _felt_ beautiful.

So exactly seven days later, Darren decided they had to talk; they needed to have that conversation and he needed to come clean. Now.

It was Monday morning, and with two cups of coffee to-go on his hands, a rehearsed speech in his head and a terrified look on his face, Darren was powerwalking his way towards Chris' trailer. Greeting everyone he found on his way, the boy almost ran the familiar path that separated their on-site spaces as he feared the smallest distraction would convince him to drop his plan altogether.

The only times they had spent together for this last week was when the scene required it, and even then they both turned to other cast members to talk to between takes. It was sad and awkward, but at the moment neither wanted to push it in fear of making the whole situation even worse. They had done a wonderful job trying to look busy, doing their best to avoid each other but being extremely careful so no one would make anything out of it… That was not a story either of them felt comfortable going through with each other, let alone anyone else.

However, half way through the week they figured this would be harder than they thought: not only was it a new level of hell to not be able to run to one another when on breaks, but everyone had been talking about their steamy scene nonstop, as apparently it was the hottest thing the glee set had ever seen. None of it was helping.

Then there was the follow up to the making-out-on-the-couch scene, which was supposed to have _Burt _coming home to find_ Kurt_ and_ Blaine _on horizontal position on the couch_._ The bad news was that they had nowhere and no one to hide on. It was just the two of them, wearing the same clothes, on the same position, on the same damn couch in the middle of _Burt Hummel_'s living room. Good news was that they didn't need to do anything other than lie there and burst out of their embrace while looking terrified at the sight of _Burt_. Easy enough. The whole scene was –thankfully!- done by the second take, thanks to Mike's fantastic work as _Burt_ and the boys' lack of lines so they couldn't screw it up. The second "Cut!" was heard across the set, both boys broke the closeness instantly, barely sharing a shy gaze and parting their different ways.

Suddenly finding himself standing in front of Chris' door, Darren came back from his self-inflicted coma and quickly knocked on the thin aluminum block that separated him from the man responsible for the bags under his eyes.

One knock. Two knocks. _'Mmmhh, maybe he's not in_'. Looking around confused, as if hoping someone would answer his unspoken question and inform him of Chris' whereabouts, he decided to knock one more time. Nothing.

_'That's it then, guess I'll try later… Or maybe this is just the universe letting me know this was a stupid idea and I should let it go'. _Turning around on his heels, a defeated look on his face and one coffee cup more than necessary, he proceeded to walk his way back to his sad, lonely trailer.

"He's by the breakfast truck" someone yelled to his back.

Darren turned around to find one of the lovely make-up ladies, walking through the lot. She obviously saw Darren's action and decided to give him the information he seemed to need. The boy however, immersed in his own thoughts, didn't quite grasp what was told.

"Huh?" was all the hobbit could mumble.

"Chris. You were knocking on his trailer, so I'm guessing you were looking for him. His scene got delayed so he's by the breakfast truck wasting time. I'm sure he could use some company" She finished with a wink and a smile, never stopping her walk towards her own work space.

Darren couldn't hold the smile on his face, and to be honest he didn't really want to. He thanked the lovely lady and as she turned to take one last look at boy, he winked back at her.

Walking his way to the breakfast truck, Darren was doing his best to keep it together_. 'Maintain calm, don't ramble and don´t lose it',_ he kept reminding himself. But the moment he recognized Chris' figure, it seemed as the milk skinned boy was purposely trying to cause the opposite effect on him.

Chris rested on top of the picnic table, spread across it as if it was his own bed. Closed eyes, slightly parted rose pink lips and stretched out limbs, he was using his free time between takes to soak up the sun. He looked unreal, a real life wood nymph with beautiful elf-like features. The tiniest of smiles could be found on Chris' face while managing to look incredibly peaceful and fragile; yet at the same time it almost seemed as if his pale white skin was the one emanating light towards the sun and not the other way around.

Now _that_ was a sight definitely worth making Darren lose his cool.

Chris rested comfortably on the table, content to have some time for himself after such an early morning call. Something had gone wrong in set: the cameras? The lightning? Or maybe it was a sound issue? Chris really wasn't paying any attention; all he wanted to know was if this hiccup would result in a tiny break.

He had gotten so little sleep lately, and the times he managed to lose himself into snooze-ville it always ended up with highly disturbing images of him and Darren. It wasn't anything explicit, he wasn't dreaming of sex with his costar, but somehow this seemed worst. All the images his subconscious painted in his head were short flashes of the two boys together, sometimes fully clothed, sometimes not so, but most of the time he had no idea as all he could see was close ups of Darren's perfect lips, his sparkling eyes, his hands running through his playful hair. It felt intimate and special, and Chris would find himself waking up to a joyous smile on his face and utter calm in his heart after such dreams. This, of course, would be immediately followed by an overwhelming embarrassment and relief that Darren couldn't see the things floating in his head. He felt highly mortified, as the guy was his friend and the last thing he wanted was to mess things up even further between the two of them. It was proving to be a difficult task though, as whenever memories of the infamous couch scene floated into his head he couldn't help to think that wasn't _Blaine_. It didn't feel like _Blaine_. It felt like it was just Chris and Darren, being loving and sweet and honest and completely letting go with one another. '_This is exactly the kind of thoughts I shouldn't be having'_, Chris reminded himself.

Coming back from his own thoughts and taking one deep breath, Chris suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable, observed. Lazily opening his eyes while yawning he quickly placed his arms to the side, pushing his upper half up to settle sitting on top of the table. Then, he froze. Darren was standing a few steps away from him, shyly staring and with a mixture of embarrassment and worry in his eyes.

"Oh… uhmm… hey" was all Chris could mumble, still a little surprised but mostly trying to decipher the look in Darren's eyes but completely failing at it.

"Hi… I… uhm… I wanted to… you know… uhmm… I thought maybe we could… you know… talk, but you… you looked so peaceful… I just… ehmm… I didn't want… I didn't want to bother… you"

Not his brightest moment, but Darren felt somehow hypnotized by Chris and this was proving it impossible to form a coherent sentence. Thank god Chris seemed to have the 'Darren-rest of the world' translator installed.

"Talk? You, you want to talk?" asked Chris, not really sure of what to think of it.

Feeling like he was slowly coming out of a foggy road, Darren's brain started making sense.

"Yeah, I think we should. I mean, don't you?"

Staring intently into Darren's eyes, Chris was still uncapable of figuring out what was going on in the shorter boy's head, which made him incredibly confused. This was the first time he couldn't read Darren's expression and he didn't like that one bit.

_'I'm losing him_', was all Chris could think of at the moment.

"Uhm, no, I mean yes, we should talk. We need to talk" finally responded Chris.

"Great, I'm glad you think so too. But maybe we should do this somewhere else… My trailer?"

"Mine's closer" was all Chris responded as he jumped out of the picnic table and started walking in the needed direction.

Darren silently walked a couple of steps behind Chris; not wanting to get too close because right now they weren't supposed to, but at the same time trying his hardest not to stay too far… because that was downright painful.

Stepping into his trailer, Chris went straight into the mini fridge at the back and opened it to later reveal a can of diet coke on his hand. Slowly turning on his heels, he saw Darren standing against the wall on the other side of the trailer as if he was a little boy waiting to be scolded by his mom for breaking an expensive antique vase.

"I'd offer you something, but looks like you've got that covered" said Chris, not really sure if it was funny enough to break the thick wall of ice that seemed to stand between them, right in the middle of the room.

Suddenly realizing he was still carrying both to-go cups on his hands, Darren walked towards the tiny table and set them on top of it.

"One's yours. I got you some coffee, but they must be cold by now… so…"

"So, do you want something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine thanks"

When he agreed to talk to him Chris had secretly hoped that this wouldn't be so uncomfortable, after all they had been very good friends for a while now; but this was beyond anything he could've ever imagined. Darren kept staring at the floor, half sitting on the table and drawing little circles on the floor with his left foot. _'He came to me, so maybe now is my turn'_, Chris figured.

"Darren?" Chris called out, just to make sure he would be given his complete attention.

Slowly raising his head in Chris' direction, Darren wasn't sure of what to expect from him: this could either go ridiculously well or horribly wrong. He didn't appreciate those odds; nonetheless now with his gaze fully on the boy standing a few steps away, he saw Chris set his diet coke on top of the little fridge as he kept talking.

"Look, can I please start? Because this has been bugging me ever since and I just need to get it out. I'm so glad you came to me, 'cause honestly I was too much of a chicken to take the first step, but I've thought about this through and through and I just… I'm so sorry Darren. I don't know what got into me, I swear I never assumed being gay gave me a free pass to do that and get away with it or something like that…"

Chris looked so… scared and desperate, and there was a bit of sadness there that didn't go unnoticed by Darren.

Chris on the other hand, noticed how Darren's expression morphed into confusion and… hurt? _'What is this?'_

"… I honestly don't know what to say other than I was careless and _completely_ unprofessional. Not to mention that I totally ignored how it would make you feel and how uncomfortable you'd be… I should've known better. I was stupid and… and I know at this point all I can do is apologize, so I'm going to do just that. I'm so _so_ sorry Darren. The last thing I wanted was to freak you out"

Feeling like his heart was being thrown out of his chest, stepped on and used as a ping pong ball, Darren decided to go all out. After all, what did he have to lose? He had woken up this morning knowing he had to be honest with Chris and he was sticking with that plan.

"I wasn't freaked out. I… I enjoyed it" he said quietly, never moving his sight from Chris' eyes.

"Oh. Oh, you… You… Wait, what?"

Now this was unexpected. No matter how many times images of the two of them had flooded his head over the past week; Chris never even considered it a viable possibility. And as he was not really sure if this was just Darren messing with him or if he was half serious about it, he let the boy continue.

"I didn't panic over what happened, I panicked because I… I liked it"

_Holy shit…_ "But…"

"Look, you weren't there by yourself; you didn't force me into anything, it takes two to tango and we were both most definitely dancing"

Staring into Chris, Darren kept trying to figure out his position in all of this… the boy looking like nothing if not a ball of confusion, disbelieve and what seemed like a hint of fear. However, Darren had figured that the cat was half out of the bag, so there was really no point in backing out now. This understanding seemed to have triggered some strange form of confidence in him; all he needed was to say anything he could remember from his pre-rehearsed speech.

"But you said you liked girls…" replied a very disoriented Christopher.

"I do… I do like girls" was the given answer, accompanied by a small shrug.

"Darren, you're not making any sense. I know I kind of look like a girl and I'm aware that if I sounded more like one, I'd grow a vagina. But I am not a girl!" voice rising higher in both pitch and volume.

Snorting and holding back a laugh, Darren replied "I know you're not. Trust me. A week ago I was given proof that you're very much a guy" now with an almost imperceptible smirk, his playful eyes making an appearance.

"That's not funny" was all Chris could say as he lowered his head and covered his eyes with his hand, a small smile forming in his lips.

"It kinda is…"

Not wanting to get himself dragged by the madness that apparently had taken over Darren, Chris decided enough was enough, and apparently he would have to be the grown up in this conversation.

"Darren, look. Let's not get mixed up here. _I_ am gay. _You_ are not. That's that! All that happened on that sofa was meaningless, no feelings involved, no attraction, none of that! We are actors, and maybe we got carried away, but let's not make this even bigger than we already have…"

"So… basically what you're saying is that you felt nothing. That it was just acting and nothing else"

"Yes!"

Feeling like a bucket of freezing cold water had just been thrown at him, Darren's eyes were wide open and burning holes into Chris with their intensity. But he would be damned if he was giving up on this.

"Exactly how stupid do you think I am? Chris c'mon! Stop lying to me, stop lying to yourself! I did and it feels awesome! I like you, ok? I _like_ you. I liked kissing you, I liked holding you, I liked touching you and I'm dying to do it all over again"

_Now you're just being stubborn,_ "Ugh… You know, yesterday I thought we had made a storm out of a glass of water, but here you are, trying to make a fucking tsunami out of it!"

At this point, they were both openly yelling at each other, Darren up from his sit at the table and standing straight in front of Chris.

"So what? What's wrong with the fucking tsunami Chris? Maybe that's what we need... Aren't I supposed to be the straight one running away from this? What are you so scared of?"

"Fine. You want honesty? Here it goes: we're friends, great friends… And I refuse to even consider our relationship going anywhere else because that's not you, and I'm perfectly aware –and ok- with that"

It was at this moment, that Chris' tone got exponentially softer "I don't have many… I haven't had many friends in my life, I can't risk losing one of my dearest over a hormone frenzy…"

"It _wasn't_ hormones"

Darren's voice had gotten low as well, matching Chris' and trying to get his point across by being as soft spoken as humanly possible "I swear to god Colfer, you're breaking my heart right now"

"Darren…" Chris was squirming, and as he let out a loud sigh and desperately looked the other way, he found himself not really sure what to do with himself. Was this really happening? Was Darren really saying all this?

But Chris' obvious discomfort did not stop Darren. He was not ready to let go as he had set himself one single mission for this day, and he _was_ going to accomplish it.

"Ok, so you've heard what I had to say and I think by now you're pretty much up to date on how I feel about you. But just to clear it up. No, I'm not confused. And no, I'm not gay. To be honest, I don't know what I am; neither I care at this point. All I know is that I need you by my side"

Darren's words were dripping in honesty, and all he was hoping was that Chris would notice it. That the taller boy would get it through his thick head that Darren wasn't playing, nor did he have any intention to. All he wanted was to hold him tight and never let go.

Taking a couple steps forward, Darren now stood not much more than a foot away from Chris. He didn't dare to touch him, as he could tell his firm gaze on the boy was enough for him to realize the short guy was wearing his heart on his sleeve; yet as soft and loving as his words came out, there was still a big trace of confidence in his speech.

"And if you're not so sure about this, about us… It's ok… I wasn't expecting you to throw yourself into my arms –well, I kinda was but that's beyond the point- All I need is for you to know that I'm willing to work for it, I'm not afraid of a challenge" he ended tilting his head slightly, with flirty eyes and a huge cocky grin all over his face.

"Oh, really?" Chris snorted out, looking intently into Darren's eyes and finding nothing but utter content.

"Yes, really. As a matter of fact, I think we should go to dinner tonight"

"What?"

"You know: you, me, fancy food. A nice proper date"

Darren announced this in such a nonchalant way that it was completely ridiculous. He was also sporting his game-on face by now, so evidently confusion took over in the Colfer side of the court.

"Darren I don't think you've heard anything of what I just said"

"I did, I'm just conveniently ignoring it"

Incapable of holding back a laugh, Chris decided to let go and chuckled at the sincerity of Darren's statement. However, this reaction instantly provoked only one thought in Darren's head_. 'He's about to crack_'.

"Listen, how are we supposed to know if we can work together or not if we don't even try it? Besides, I'm not asking for much; just one date, that's all!"

_'This is not good, he's being so annoying and funny, it's morphing into something endearing. Damn you Criss!'_

"Okay, this might be the deal breaker. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow to spend the holidays with my family, and after that I'll be in New York for the first few weeks of next year. So that's like a month and a half that you'll be Darren-free. I think that's a pretty sweet deal as an exchange for a date"

"I can't believe you're actually haggling for a date"

"Hey, I gotta work with what I got" Popping his million dollar smile into place, Darren continued "So… what do you say? I mean, besides yes of course"

"When did you get so annoying?"

"Always have been, you just tend to confuse it with being adorable"

Again, laughter took over Chris. Darren was not only being impossible, but he was now standing impossibly close… So much so he could feel his warm breath lightly brush the side of his mouth, hazel eyes never looking bigger or brighter.

Taking one tiny step forward, Darren's lips were now almost touching Chris'. It was a dangerous move, but he had felt Chris' breathing getting stronger and more erratic by the second so he decided to prove the boy that maybe he wasn't as indifferent as he claimed to be.

With dozy eyes and parted lips in place, Darren lowered his gaze as his hand reached Chris', holding it and taking it up to his chest while tangling their finger together. Once their joined hands was the only thing that stood between them, Darren raised his sight and giving one deep look into Chris' eyes he delivered his finishing line.

"So… Pick you up at 9?"

Wobbly legs and racing heart, Chris' mouth responded before his brain could even process the question.

"Fine" he responded, doing his very best at getting his poker face on and failing miserably at it.

"Just fine?" Was all the short asshole replied, smirk firmly in place.

"Don't push it" Chris said back, with a defiant tone in his voice.

Darren couldn't look past the hilarity in all of this, or hide the complete joy over the fact that he had just gotten Mr. Colfer himself agreeing on a date.

"Well then, for now fine will do" he said as his smile morphed into puckered lips that softly pressed into Chris' hand.

Racing heart, shaky breathing and eyes intently soaking in the soft action taken by the man who was holding his hand, Chris was lost on Darren. Hazel eyes still closed, Darren slowly placed Chris' hand back down to the side of his hip, and as he mourned the loss of the soft warm touch, his sight went back up meeting blue eyes in the process.

"I should leave now before you change your mind" was all he could mutter, gently caressing Chris' hand one more time before he made his way out of the trailer.

Right on the moment Darren crossed the threshold and the door was shut closed, Chris heard a familiar voice yell over the thin trailer walls.

"And wear something nice!"

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><p><strong>Okay, so I didn't want a winy Darren, or Chris to be the gay kid who's forever in love with a straight man so I decided to shake it up a little. Hope my intentions came through in the story!<strong>

**As always,**

**Read, Review and be Merry :)**


	4. Chapter 4 We Run Wild

**I'm sorry. I don't have much to say here other than I'm truly sorry it's taken me SO long for this update to arrive. I have no excuse other than saying this chapter was like giving birth to an eighty pound baby; I had so many ideas for it but then they didn't really work together and I got frustrated and decided to let it be until I found my inspiration back. Which I think we can all agree it took way to long to arrive. Then today I decided enough is enough and cut off like half the story... and still ended up with a 4000+ words chapter :S So I guess at least that was a good decision. Anyway, I truly hope this chapter doesn't suck so bad :S**

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><p><span>Chapter 4. We run wild.<span>

While fixing up his tie and jacket standing in the hallway, Darren could feel butterflies shaking violently in his stomach.

He had gotten his way, and Chris had agreed on going on a date with him; but as soon as Darren made it to his own trailer, panic ensued. He had very little time to prepare everything: what was he going to wear? Did he even own anything that was first date worthy? Where would they go for dinner? And how was he going to manage for the two of them to be alone, at a table, in a restaurant without anyone bothering them? As much as he loved their fans, signing napkins and taking pictures with costumers was not his idea of a sexy night out.

On top of it, he had to figure this all out while being stuck in the lot; Darren only had a couple of scenes waiting to be filmed, but there was still no way he would be able to leave work before 6pm. '_Yeah, this is gonna be an interesting night.'_

Chris arrived home a bundle of nerves. _'Why did I agree on this? There's no way this can end well,'_ he thought as he threw the house keys into a bowl by the door and made his way towards his bedroom. _'Oh, that's right, Darren puppy-eyed me into it… Adorable prick.'_

Looking into his closet and finding himself in the middle of a small panic attack, Chris decided to hit the shower and worry about his outfit later. He had the longest shower, warm and relaxing; took his time in order to get dressed accordingly and spent over half an hour in front of his full length mirror in an attempt to get his hair just right. Eyeing at the clock on the wall, he realized there was still half an hour to go before the appointed time. Taking one final gaze at his ensemble, Chris cringed at the sight: black form fitting trousers and a grey button down shirt with black tie and vest on top, shiny black dress shoes covering his large feet. _'I look like I'm about to go on a talk show,' _he thought as he realized he was wearing his press uniform.

Going back to his walk in closet, Chris stood in the middle of the small room for 10 minutes, not really sure what to do. '_Wear something nice!'_ Kept rolling in his head… What was nice for Darren anyway? He was sure the guy owned 5 different outfits and just mixed and matched them every single day like the lunatic that he was. It was then that Chris remembered some clothes that had been sent to him from a designer, and he hadn't had an event to wear it to. Furiously rummaging through the 'suits' section of his closet, he took the desired garment and started changing.

Buttoning his jacket, Darren pressed his lips together licking them a tiny little bit, only to feel the familiar cherry taste of his chapstick. Straightening his back while pulling his head up high –a ridiculous attempt to try and make himself look taller-, Darren knocked on the door. Chris' building had a reception desk, but as Darren hung out over there so often, everyone there knew him well enough to not even flinch as he greeted them and made his way through the lobby and into the elevator.

While buttoning his plain white shirt, Chris heard three firm knocks on his apartment's front door.

"Oh god, please don't let it be him already!" he nervously said to himself while doing his best to button his shirt as fast as possible. "Cooommiiiiing!" he yelled, hoping it was loud enough so his voice would go all the way out to his building's hallway.

Wearing a classic black suit paired with an equally colored skinny tie, Darren smiled to himself as he heard Chris' frantic voice. The short boy's outfit was undeniably grown up, only it was topped by a mad set of curls on his head.

"Don't worry, it's not like we have a reservation to make it to!" Darren yelled back through Chris' front door.

"Shit!" cursed Chris as he hopped out of his room on one foot while trying to put his shoe on the other. Success achieved, his hands moved on to his tie pulling it and almost chocking himself at the fast motion that tightened a little too much around his collar. Losing it up a little, he reached for his jacket and frantically put it on, trying to take a look at his finished outfit on the reflection of a picture frame hanging on his wall. It proved not to be a very fruitful move and without a clue as to how he looked, Chris slightly pressed his jacket and opened his front door.

"Sorry! Last minute outfit debacle…" he said instantly and slightly out of breath; his eyes opened wide as realization hit him when he saw Darren waiting at his doorstep, all dressed up. For him.

Darren on the other hand, couldn't help to hold his breath and ogle at the boy who had just appeared from the other side of the door.

Wearing a thin lapelled navy blue suit, white button down shirt, dark purple tie and his trusty black boots, Chris' hair was combed back, styled high and slightly puffy on the top while the hair on the sides was a strongly pressed to his head.

Finally focusing his gaze on those impossibly sparkly blue eyes, Darren could swear Chris looked like the perfect mix between a Ken doll and a fucking rockstar.

"Uh, yeah, no, don't worry about it. It was time well spent. Totally worth it," Darren said with a flirty smile that made Chris blush furiously as his eyes lowered to stare at the floor.

Chris knew Darren was a terrible flirt, it was second nature and sometimes it seemed like he couldn't stop it nor control it. He just never thought the boy's flirty-ness would ever be directed at him. At least not seriously.

"Uhm… okay, let me just get my phone and I'm good to go," he said as he stepped back into his apartment, leaving the door open behind him. "Come on in! I think I left my phone in my room…" he continued as he walked towards the back of his home.

"K, thanks." Darren softly mumbled as he awkwardly stood in the middle of the living room. A few seconds later, he could hear Chris' footsteps walking back from the other end of the hall, and he could see him place his cell phone and wallet in his jacket's inner pocket.

"Good to go?" Darren asked, regaining Chris' full attention.

"Uhm, yeah, let's go." Chris replied as he walked to the door, Darren a couple of steps behind.

The drive to wherever it was they were going was nice, a little awkward but both boys managed to make the time go faster by keeping a light conversation. The topic was a little too safe, and Darren kept thinking it wasn't a good idea to go into friend-mode and talk about what they always talked about. But at the same time he didn't want to be pushy and decided that maybe the best way to tackle this was by being themselves, even if that meant right now they were to talk about the least sexy subject ever: work.

Pulling into his driveway, Darren turned off the engine and started unbuckling his seatbelt as Chris suddenly became very quiet and drastically changed the conversation topic.

"We're at your house." Chris said bluntly, staring at the façade of Darren's department building.

"Uhmm, yeah. You've been here before… Many times."

"I know I have. But you said we had dinner reservations."

A small chuckle came out of Darren's mouth, and he continued getting out of the car as he replied.

"Yeah I was just messing with you. You can't blame me for trying to get you to open the door shirtless." A wink and a smile after that, they both walked into Darren's building as a bright red faced Chris kept thinking _'What did I get myself into?'_

This was not Darren's apartment. Or at least, it wasn't in the state this apartment would normally be. No pizza boxes all over the living room, no beer bottles, no starkid paraphernalia all over. Not even an ill placed script. Instead, the entire place had a vanilla-ish scent mixed with food; some very good smelling food. The lights were dimmed and the sofa's cushions were all in place, kitchen all tidy and there even was a long, light blue table cloth over the dining table.

Chris however, had been banned from the kitchen.

"I'm not ready for you to know all my secrets," had been Darren's cryptic explanation to this after Chris realized Darren had somehow managed to make time for cooking dinner himself.

Walking back to the areas he _was_ allowed in, Chris immediately found it amusing that two chairs had magically disappeared from the dining table; what was usually a set of four were now two chairs standing one on front of the other. Taking a seat, Chris returned his gaze to the man making approving noises in the kitchen as he took final tastes of his own cooking, and suddenly he found himself incapable of ignoring all the little details.

Chris marveled at the little tablescape going on at the dining table: there was a single short and wide ivory candle in the center that Darren had lit the moment they stepped in, while right next to it rested a short and thick crystal vase that held a small bouquet of peonies in the softest shade of pink. The table was set: plates, silverware, fancy fabric napkins, tall wine glasses and all that.

Suddenly Chris didn't feel quite as uncomfortable as he was certain this would be. It felt natural, almost normal to have Darren cook him dinner while he stared at him with adoring eyes. Darren had placed so much thought and detail into the evening, Chris would have to be completely heartless not to feel a little warm and fuzzy inside.

Dinner went off in a blur. They shared glee stories, teenage stories, memories of the great times they have had together thus far. It was fun and extremely flirty at times; something Chris started to get more and more used to. Addicted even. He couldn't –nor wanted to- stop Darren's flirting and as the night progressed, Christopher found himself encouraging it.

'_What has he done to me?_' Chris kept thinking as it became more and more apparent that Darren was doing his best at being even more impossibly adorable than usual.

Once they were done with dinner, Darren picked up the dirty dishes –while refusing to get help from Chris- and proceeded to make his way towards the refrigerator.

"I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to owe you a proper desert tonight," said Darren as he rummaged the freezer. "I didn't have time to make it… But I got your favorite ice cream!" he finished with a smile as he removed from the freezer a large container of Ben & Jerry's triple caramel chunk ice cream.

Chris' eyes opened wide and as he saw Darren pick up a couple of spoons and small bowls, he decided to make themselves more comfortable.

"That's perfect." Chris replied as he strolled towards the living room.

And he meant it.

As Darren walked his way towards the sofa, Chris had already chosen a movie, loosen up his tie and removed his shoes as he curled his legs on the couch. Sitting dangerously close to him, Darren handed him a spoon and they both decided to ignore the little ice cream bowls by eating straight from the container.

The warmth created by the closeness felt magical and unbearable all at the same time. Knees barely touching, fingers softly gracing one another with the excuse to scoop some creamy desert at the same time, eyes looking at each other from the corner of the eye and sharing shy smiles the second they caught each other staring. It was flirting, heavy flirting, they both knew it and they seemed to be determined not to do a damn thing to stop it. Quite the contrary actually.

"Why did you bring me to your place?" Suddenly asked Chris as he decided to break the silence and get an answer for the question that had been floating in his head all night.

"Huh?"

"I mean, you did all of this… And I'm not complaining, at all! ... It… It's been lovely…" Chris admitted sheepishly. "But I'm sure it would've been a lot easier and a whole less stressful for you if we had gone to a restaurant somewhere…" he finished with a questioning expression.

Ignoring the film they were supposedly watching and looking intently at Chris instead, Darren answered the interrogant as honestly as he could.

"Easier and less stressful to plan and accomplish, yes. But it's our first date, and I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted you to be comfortable, and at ease, and have a wonderful meal, and laugh your ass off, and flirt _my_ ass off, and be certain there isn't a group of fans on the neighboring table or a paparazzo hiding somewhere. There's a ton of things I can't control out there and I didn't like those odds for our first date, so I preferred a controlled environment in which I may have had to work my butt off to pull it off, but seeing you so relaxed and content… That makes it all worth it. It makes me _so_ happy."

After placing the ice cream container on the floor, Darren finally found the courage to lift his gaze, and looking intently into Chris' eyes, he decided to say what his head, his heart and his entire body were screaming right now.

"_You_ make me so ridiculously happy," he admitted softly as he stared lovingly into Chris' blue eyes, heart pounding out of his chest and hands fidgeting on his lap.

Chris froze to the statement. His lips felt as they were glued together, yet finding absolute truth and adoring-ness in Darren's small rant, the smallest smile formed on Chris' face as he gently moved his body closer to Darren's. Bending his legs so his knees would touch his chest and his feet fell flat on the edge of the sofa, Chris' legs suddenly dipped to a side, falling partly over Darren's lap. His arm then crawled its way under Darren's, linking their arms together.

"Is this ok?" Chris asked sheepishly, conveniently staring into the tv screen so he would positively avoid stumbling into Darren's strong gaze.

Chris really couldn't trust himself anymore. Not now. Not with Darren so close to him, not after what he just said, not as all the overwhelming thoughts and feelings took over his entire body.

"'Course it is," was Darren's simple answer as he welcomed the embrace, allowing Chris to take possession of his arm as he held it closely to his chest. He could feel Chris' chest move up and down and the pounding beating heart across the thin fabric of the boy's white shirt; but as Darren realized his own was beating at a manic rate, he forced himself to take deep breaths and _calm_ _the fuck_ down. Darren was staring at the tv pretending to be watching the movie in it, but as he pressed his mouth into a single line, the reality was that he was softly liking his lips, pretending it was Chris doing it.

A few minutes later, Darren finally found a way to relax and actually enjoy the closeness. Melting into the sofa, he moved his hand so it would rest over Chris' thigh. Darren was afraid to freak Chris out by doing the wrong move and this feeling grew exponentially bigger as Chris' leg jumped a little the second he felt Darren's touch. He didn't move further or rejected it though, so the shorter boy assumed it was okay and stayed there forming tiny imaginary circles with his index finger on Chris' leg for the rest of the movie.

Chris was dying, _dying_ inside. Darren's fingers on his thigh kept creating little shapes of absolute bliss and Chris felt that if he let go of the strong arm he was crawled into he would fall apart at any second. The tall boy kept getting increasingly confused. In his head, this evening had started as a way to shut Darren up and make him realize this is not what he wanted. Now though, Chris found himself slowly floating further into the dark side, where Darren was waiting for him with that stupid grin in his face.

Who would've guessed that a random meaningless situation as sitting on a couch watching a movie could be so impossibly perfect?

By the time the movie was done, Chris found himself trapped by Darren. The boy may be short, but by now it was obvious his limbs had an octopus-like quality as he had successfully sneaked his way around Chris' arm and legs without the taller boy even noticing. Surprising as it was, it felt nice yet that odd combination of panic and safety made an appearance and got Chris increasingly nervous, not knowing (once again) what to do with himself, or the boy currently attached to his hip.

Darren however, knew that any silence induced weirdness could very easily work against him; when Chris got nervous, he got chatty, and Darren was certain there was a conversation there that neither was ready to have just yet. It would be tricky and messy and Darren refused to let anything damp on his first date with Chris. His first ever date with a boy. A fellow male. Yeah… Okay.

Slowly, as if trying not to disturb the statuesque form of the boy he had practically crawled on, Darren sat upright and took the opportunity to begin the limbs-detachment process and call it a night before it got weird, or even worst: they could enter Darren's dreaded "friend zone".

Suddenly Chris separated his gaze from the tv and distracted by the very sudden lack of Darren all over the left side of his body, Chris turned to him while doing his best at hiding the fact that he missed the warmth. And that slight smell of soap. And Darren's dancy toes against his feet. And the soft touch of his curls against Chris' cheek whenever the dork thought that if he tilted his head he would see more than what the tv screen was showing.

What he found, however, was the sweetest smile ever to have graced Darren's (or anyone's) face and a look in his eyes that could give Shrek's 'puss in boots' a run for his money.

"I should get you home, it's getting late," Darren blurted out.

Chris however, was so lost in those deep hazel eyes he completely missed what the other boy said.

"Uhmm… Huh?" Poker face attempt: FAIL.

"Well, you've got work tomorrow and I don't want you to be all tired and sleepy on set 'cause I kept you up."

"Oh, right! Yeah, but I don't have my car, so yeah… uhm… yeah, maybe you… you could drive me home?" _God I must look like such an idiot right now._

"Should."

"Huh?" At this point Chris wasn't sure if Darren was being purposely cryptic or if he was still drunk on those amazingly beautiful eyes, but he felt positively stupid.

"I picked you up and brought you here, so I _should_ drive you home."

"Yeah, whatever you say," responded Chris, as both boys got up from the sofa and pressed their clothes or stared and their own shoe free feet, anything to avoid each other's gaze.

"Careful with that…" said Darren in a tone that forced Chris to look up, if only to clear if his tone had been playful or downright flirtatious.

Slightly raised triangular eyebrows, smiley eyes and a smirk in his face. Yep, that bastard was flirting.

However, Darren didn't really give the now bright faced Chris a chance to even respond, as he quickly stepped away to go put on his jacket and shoes, giving Chris some personal space to focus on something as ordinary as slipping on his own boots.

Walking back up to Chris and handing him his jacket, Darren led the way towards the door.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, lets get going."

The drive back to Chris' place was another wonderful example of awkwardness, which at this rate Darren was starting to embrace. It seemed as ever since this whole 'thing' had started to develop between them, less than graceful moments were followed by some pretty cool ones. It was this train of thought that encouraged Darren to take it a step further and walk Chris to his apartment's front door, despite his absolute knowledge that: one, he didn't have to; two, Chris wasn't expecting him to; and three, Chris would be absolutely mortified by this action and would want to crawl into a hole because of it. It was of course that last bit what made Darren do it; just because they were on a date it didn't mean he'd stop being himself: a troll at heart.

Turned out his suspicions were spot on, and after unsuccessfully trying to talk Darren out of walking out of the car, trying to push him away from the building's front door and then pressing the 'close doors' button in the elevator in a desperate attempt to get Darren stuck on the opposite side of the lift's doors, Chris finally gave up and after a deep sigh he let Darren walk by his side through the long corridor towards his apartment's door.

Darren's smirk was undeniable, and the second Chris caught sight of it he couldn't do anything else but shake his head and smile shyly. It had been a good night –a wonderful night, actually- and now Darren was being adorable and annoying at the same time. Like he always was.

However, Darren knew that the final part of the night had to go like clockwork or it would be completely ruined. Chris would bombard him with questions and then Darren would talk too much and they would end the night with even more awkwardness; and not the cute kind.

So the second they reached their destination, Darren started fumbling with the inner pocket of his jacket, while Chris opened the door and turned to rest his head on the threshold while looking at Darren. However, by then the shorter boy had produced a small package from his pocket and proceeded to reach it in offering to a now blushed, shy and surprised Christopher.

Taking the fairly small, flat, rectangular box, Chris proceeded to shake it trying to guess its contents. Darren smiled at the child-like action, but instantly realized he hadn't thought this through… He'd be too embarrassed to explain the significance of the present.

"Please don't open it yet," Darren said in a plea while motioning his hands around the gift, "but you can do so as soon as I'm outta here," he finished with a small smile.

Chris was taken aback by the request, but it had been such a wonderful night and Darren had worked so hard on making everything absolutely perfect –while being so himself in the process- that Chris decided the poor boy could use a little break from all the stress tonight must've inflicted on him. So while giving one final –close- look to the package on his hands, Chris responded with a quizzical look "Darren this is not gay porn, is it?"

A loud laugh burst out of the short boy, and Chris felt a huge sense of accomplishment: he had made Darren laugh after looking absolutely terrified, his job here was done. Darren now seemed relaxed and a big smile was still lingering in his face.

"To be honest, I think I'd be less nervous about giving you hardcore porn than what is actually in the box," he confessed.

"Huh, intriguing," replied Chris as he went back to stare at it, unsuccessfully trying to focus hard enough to see through the carton and into the gift lying inside it. Now Chris _really_ wanted to know what was in there.

"It's not a chewing gum wrapper ring, is it?"

Darren just closed his eyes tilting his head slightly to the side and smiled at that one, as if it was the sweetest thing he had ever heard. Taking this moment as his cue to make the perfect fuzz free exit, he lifted his hands and pressed them to the wall on each side of Chris' head. Flexing his arms and slowly pushing his body forward, Darren raised his head in the slowest of movements and tilted it softly to his side as he stared at a now very flushed faced Christopher. Settling his gaze on Chris eyes while they stood so dangerously close they could almost feel each other's heart beats, Darren slowly leaned in as he saw Chris eyes softly close. Pressing a tender kiss on the cheek, Darren whispered against blushed skin,

"Merry Christmas Colfer," Darren said as he pushed himself away from Chris body enough so they would still be ridiculously close, but not so much their chests would feel like they were about to fusion together.

Chris could feel his entire body trembling and slowly melt into a puddle right there in the hallway. Darren was really good at this; he certainly knew how to get him lose all his good senses with a single action. Trying to pull himself together and with a loving expression in his eyes, a smile formed in Chris' face as he leaned closer and grabbed Darren' shoulders, pulling towards him. Chris couldn't hide the huge grin in his face as Darren welcomed the embrace: his arms surrounding Chris' shoulder blades as his fingers tangled the perfectly styled hair at the back of the boy's head.

Darren couldn't have felt more joyous as Chris' hands slowly slid through his waist and settled on his lower back with a firm grip; eyes closed and heads resting against each other's foreheads, the embrace was soft and tender yet there was an ever growing desire to blend their bodies together, to forever feel that warmth and soft shy touches. To never let go.

* * *

><p><strong>So to make up for my horrible delay, I thought I'd let you know the next chapter is almost done so it should be up in the next couple of days :)<strong>

**As always: Read, review and be merry!**


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